Emergency Alert System gets word out, Web site has difficulties
Jason Nevel
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: News
The new Emergency Alert System worked properly this morning, notifying students that an anonymous threat had been received at an off-campus apartment complex. Automated text messages, phone calls and e-mails were sent out at 9:35 Wednesday morning.
According to Western Illinois University President Al Goldfarb, the system had been tested prior to today when Macomb was hit by bad weather. Those who signed up for the alert system received two text messages and a phone call.
"The message system has worked really well," Goldfarb said at a 10:30 press conference this morning. "We want to remind people to continue to update their information when it changes."
The EAS was put into place in response to the shootings at Virginia Tech. Students can still sign up for the alert system by visiting www.wiu.edu/alertsystem/.
Junior Kylie Davenport received the text message this morning and said she was glad that Western got the word out so quickly.
"I was really happy that the warning system worked," Davenport said. "Everyone picked up the phone at the same time, and that made me feel better."
Western also sent out an e-mail at the same time this morning and posted a press release on its Web site.
Morning visitors to the Web site may have experienced some difficulty in accessing the threat information. Fred Seaton, research and instructional consultant for University Computer Support Services, said this is because the Western Web server was unable to accommodate a large jump in incoming traffic while sending out emergency messages.
From 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., before the threat was posted, the server received an average of 1,200 hits per minute; the wiu.edu home page received an average of 41 hits per minute.
By 9:45 a.m., server hits jumped to 8,600 per minute while the home page received 533 per minute.
Director of University Relations Darcie Shinberger said processing time moved to a more accessible rate after the Web server was moved to a different machine and the auto-migration of Zimbra student accounts was stopped. Shinberger added the Western home page was changed from dynamic to static by removing excess links.
According to Shinberger, Western President Al Goldfarb cited an obvious need for more Web bandwidth and said it would be remedied.
Since the WC posted an initial statement about the threat at 10 a.m., more than 1,000 visitors have accessed the information. Please continue checking westerncourier.com for updates.
Sarah Cash contributed to this article.
According to Western Illinois University President Al Goldfarb, the system had been tested prior to today when Macomb was hit by bad weather. Those who signed up for the alert system received two text messages and a phone call.
"The message system has worked really well," Goldfarb said at a 10:30 press conference this morning. "We want to remind people to continue to update their information when it changes."
The EAS was put into place in response to the shootings at Virginia Tech. Students can still sign up for the alert system by visiting www.wiu.edu/alertsystem/.
Junior Kylie Davenport received the text message this morning and said she was glad that Western got the word out so quickly.
"I was really happy that the warning system worked," Davenport said. "Everyone picked up the phone at the same time, and that made me feel better."
Western also sent out an e-mail at the same time this morning and posted a press release on its Web site.
Morning visitors to the Web site may have experienced some difficulty in accessing the threat information. Fred Seaton, research and instructional consultant for University Computer Support Services, said this is because the Western Web server was unable to accommodate a large jump in incoming traffic while sending out emergency messages.
From 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., before the threat was posted, the server received an average of 1,200 hits per minute; the wiu.edu home page received an average of 41 hits per minute.
By 9:45 a.m., server hits jumped to 8,600 per minute while the home page received 533 per minute.
Director of University Relations Darcie Shinberger said processing time moved to a more accessible rate after the Web server was moved to a different machine and the auto-migration of Zimbra student accounts was stopped. Shinberger added the Western home page was changed from dynamic to static by removing excess links.
According to Shinberger, Western President Al Goldfarb cited an obvious need for more Web bandwidth and said it would be remedied.
Since the WC posted an initial statement about the threat at 10 a.m., more than 1,000 visitors have accessed the information. Please continue checking westerncourier.com for updates.
Sarah Cash contributed to this article.
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